Method of shipping sheet metal



Jan. 22, 1935. E. B. RICKETTS 1,988,514

" METHOD OF SHIPPING SHEET METAL Filed on. 31, 1952 INVENTOR WWW ATTORNEY Patented 22, 1935 v "PATENT OFFICE I METHOD OF smrrmo snan'r METAL EthelynB. meme, Middletown, Ohio, assignor to The American Rolling Mill Company, Middletown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 31, 1932, Serial No. 640,401

Claims.

This is a continuation in part of application for Letters Patent of the United States Serial No. 571,468, filed October 27, 1931, in the names of Ethelyn B. Ricketts and Alva H. Moon.

This invention relates to the preparation and handling of sheet metal, particularly strip, sheet, or bar steel, or other articles of merchandise, for the purpose of shipping the same in railroad cars, motor trucks, ships, carriers, and the like; an object of the invention being to provide a new and more efiicient method of loading and transporting metal, steel sheets, or merchandise in unit loads, free to move as units, but such movement counteracted in part by retarding means.

In customary practice sheets have been arranged for loading in packs or stacks, suitably bound and placed on the freight car floor and transported to destination. Each pack, or stack of sheets, weighing frequently as much as five to ten tons, has been supported either directly or through the medium of wood members, platforms, or skids on the car floor with the individual sheets piled fiatwise and held in the stacks by means of binding elements, such as steel bands or wire. Moreover, according to conventional practices, the stacks have either been braced or anchored to the car floor against movement, or freely supported to permit the stack or pack to shift as a whole, as a result of shocks or jolts to which the car is subjected in transit.

The prevailing practice in shipping sheet metal is to use flexible steel bands, or wire, and where these are used to bind the unit pack. The free movement or sliding on the car floor of the pack, to take up the shocks, has been considered advantageous in order to minimize the relative sliding of the sheets (which are usually oiled) or to prevent the breaking of the binders and the scattering of the sheets over the car floor. This modern system reduces the amount of dunnage by eliminating a substantial amount of wood bracing formerly used.

The unit packs of sheet metal may be made up on the shipping room floor of the rolling mill and transported into the freight car, as a unit, by truck, or they may be assembled in the car. When the units are received at destination, it is customary and advantageous to take them out of the car, as a unit, by means ofv a lifting device or a lift truck instead of breaking the bundle and removing the sheets one or more at a time.

In some cases, means are provided for guiding the unit pack or travel of the stack in a straight longitudinal line and this guiding means tends to prevent the bundle from shifting sidewise in transit.

Heretofore, by this unit method of shipping, I have, in some cases where severe shocks occur in transit, found that the sheet metal units, weighing as muchv as ten tons, had shifted or moved from their original position in the car, in front of the doorway, where it was practically impossible to take them from the car as a unit by truck or lifting device.

An object of this invention is, while allowing or permitting the unit pack of sheet metal to move as a unit on the car floor, to resist or retard excessive movement under extreme heavy shocks, so as to keep the pack of sheet metal in as near its original location in the car as possible.

In shipping sheet steel, the number of bundles or packs to be placed in a car varies with the length and width of the sheets, weight of the bundle, and capacity of car. In some cases, it is desired to place four or five packs in a box or gondola car, that is, one in each corner and one in the center. In other cases, where the sheets are extremely wide and long, and the bundles heavy, it is only feasible to place two such packs, one in each end of the car. In other cases, where short sheets are involved, it is sometimes customary first to make up three or more separate units, place them in the car and then bind the separate units into one composite unit, having one unit in each end of the car. In cases of this kind any great amount of shifting or moving of either unit towards the center of the car generally consumes the entire space before the doorway of.

the car, and means a very disagreeable situation at the receivers end, as a shifting towards the front of the doorway prevents access to the car when the doors are opened at destination.

The unit method of shipping sheet steel has been found to be satisfactory, economical and practical, except for this one diificulty, viz., of too much shifting or moving of the unit out of its original position and, inmost cases, towards center of car while in transit; also the bundles sometimes bump into the ends of the car, causing damage to both sheets and car. In some cases the bundles bump into each other causing sheet damage.

In the past, various means have been resorted to to control the movement of this pack, such as guiding means (which are generally 1" x 3" wood strips nailed to the floor of car, running longifloor of car at the end and crosswise of the pack). These bumpers do not always prove satisfactory. as insome cases where the bumpers are securelynailedto the floor, on excessive shocks when the'bumpers are strong enough to resist, thebindersbreak and the bundle falls to pieces in transit scattering the sheets throughout the car. In other cases, an excessive bump of the pack against the bumper breaks it loose from the car floor and the pack moves beyond its allotted space, and in some cases, in front of the doorway of the car.

Various means have heretofore been devised for retarding movement of packs, such as caulks of various kinds; spikes projecting through skids; sharp ridges on bottom of skids or channels, acting as skids; wedges set under ends of pack to permit pack to slide upward instead of longitudinally; guide rails set and nailed to floor of car in such manner to pinch or squeeze the skids when longitudinal movement occurs.

Also sheets have been set on edge to obtain the benefit of the additional friction obtained on edges. This method is effective only under light impacts and can be unloaded only by special means. All means used which set up a gouging or dragging effect are undesirable because of their destructive nature to the car floors.

Wedges, as commonly used, are effective only on light impacts because as the pack slides up' the incline of the wedges at one end, they slide down the incline at the other end, with the result that the horizontal retarding effect of the wedges is almost nothing.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawing, in which, for purposes of illustration, but one embodiment is illustrated.

In the drawing:--

Fig. 1 represents a medium for frictional resistance, to be placed on the car floor under the entire unit pack and binders. Fig. 2 shows supporting members for a unit bundle of sheets, together with four of the resisting means, shown in Fig. 1 placed on the car floor.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a completed unit of sheet steel.

Fig. 4 shows a side view of the completed unit of sheet metal shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 represents an end view of the unit shown in Fig. 3.

Before explaining in detafl the present inven-' tion, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways.

It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description, and not of limitation, as it is not intended to limit the invention beyond the requirements of the prior art.

It is also to be understood that this invention may be applied to any form of modern unit sliding pack of strip, sheet, or bar metal, or article of merchandise, or any commodity, when shipped in unit packs, that is when transported in form other than what is commonly known as American Railway Association rigid blocking or solid bracing.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawing there is illustrated one of the preferred methods of forming a load-unit made up of a plurality of flat sheets, such as sheets of steel, or the like, wheresheets of this character have a pronounced tendency to slide oneach other, especially when oiled, but this difficulty is overcome by placing tensioning bands or wirearound the unit usually at a plurality of interspaced points. The binders may run'both crosswise and lengthwise of the pack, or, in the case of dry sheets, I have found that crosswise bands are suflicient. When wire is used, it. isgenerally the practice to use two strands, as shown in the drawing, but in a case where a narrow steel band is used, one will answer the purpose.

It is advisable in some cases to use wide strips of reinforcing metal 4 beneath the bands or wire so that the edges of the sheets will be protected.

In making up one of these unit packs, I first provide a suflicient number of skids or members 5, as shown in Fig. 2, although in some cases, skids, or means interposed between stack of metal and car fioor, are not used. I then attach the reinforcing metal 4 to skids, placing wires or hands 3 under the reinforcing metal 4; I then lay the wires or bands, which I propose to use as binding, sidewise members,'on top of the skids and then place the stack of metal, two or three sheets at a time, or lift the entire pack in position on top of the skeleton composed of skids, binders, and reinforcing members. After this, I tie the binders, at the same time pulling them under tension, by means of tools now upon the market which are found to be commercially satisfactory and practical. The skids are generally fastened to the unit pack, and in my illustration it is proposed to make them a part of the pack.

I- place upon the floor of the freight car or carrier pieces of pure cork, cork composition or sheet-cork.

The entire unit of sheet metal is placed in position on the pieces of cork or sheet cork, the skids or wood members resting thereon. There are various kinds of cork upon the market, such as pure cork, which is a natural composition composed of walls of dead cells filled with air, ordinarily known as the bark of certain trees, or commercial sheet cork, which is usually ground, mixed with a binder and made into sheet form. Since cork is elastic, tough impervious and resilient, it provides a means for retarding excessive movement of the load placed upon it.

The pieces of cork or cork composition maybe of any size, suitable for the particular load but it is believed that in ordinary shipping practice, four cakes or pieces of cork, may be placed under a unit pack, as shown by the numeral 6 in Fig. 2, these cakes being as small as 3 x 5" x thick, but larger or smaller pieces may be used if desired.

These pieces of cork 6 may be, if desired, prepared in advance by placing a band or ring of metal around the outer edges which will prevent any excess crumbling of the cork while under the strain of the load in transit. In the beforementioned application for patent, to which this is a continuation, a retarding means, among others was cakes of asphalt. With this new application it is understood that my invention not only embodies cork, and cork composition as a means of retarding the excessive movement of a unit pack of sheet metal but that I may use a cork or composition piece coated entirely or partially with asphalt or asphaltic compounds, or I may use a combination of cork and asphalt to accomplish the same purpose. In excessive loads of great weight where asphalt by itself is too plastic,

box cars, free from odors, free of dirt, grease and the like. In fact in some instances cars must be scrubbed out, cleansed and deodorized before using for shipping tin plate. In instances of this nature, cork being entirely odorless and clean is a most desirable means for retarding or counteracting excessive movement of units of tin plate, which in some cases fill up the entire end of the box car.

Cork is especially desirable because it is capable of great distortion or internal movement without breakdown, and at the same time it possesses such external frictional characteristics as to prevent excessive slippage between its surfaces and the surface of the floor or load with which it is in contact. As nearly as can be determined, the internal movement within the pads themselves is the principal and beneficial movement in a proper installation, the slippage, if any, between the pads and the floor or load being so slight that the pads do not become improperly positionedv with respect to either.

Cork is also desirable in that it does not adhere to the floor of the freight car and can be removed at destination without any attendant difficulty.

The friction of the load may be increased or decreased by the thickness of the strips, blocks or sheets of cork or cork composition used. By experience desired thickness for the particular load weight and size may be determined in advance.

The particular material I have employed will be such as will frictionally engage the pack and the floor or other support, and it will be tenacious, elastic, tough, impervious, of light weight, resilient and will keep the load in its relative original position while in transit.

It is also within the scope of my invention to fasten a cork sheet or strip either to the pack,

to the skids, or to the floor or shipping surface.

While the method and apparatus herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific form shown, but that it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, with or without guiding and/or other retarding means, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A method of preparing materials for shipment which comprises forming a relatively heavy unit load of such materials, placing said load upon a movable shipping surface, and interposing between said unit load and said surface a plurality of relatively small pads of pure cork of such total size with respect to said load as to permit retarded movement of said load within predetermined limits upon receipt by said shipping surface of impacts ordinarily received in transit.

2. A method of preparing materials for shipment which comprises forming a relatively heavy unit load of such materials, placing said load upon a movable shipping surface, and interposing between said unit load and said surface a plurality of relatively small pads consisting principally of cork and of such total size with respect to said load as to permit retarded movement of said load within predetermined limits upon receipt by said shipping surface of impacts ordinarily received in transit.

3. A method of preparing materials for shipment which comprises forming a relatively heavy unit load of such materials, placing said load upon a movable shipping surface, and interposing between said unit load and said surface a plurality of relatively small pads of cork composition and asphaltic compounds of such total size with respect to said load as to permit retarded movement of said load within predetermined limits upon receipt by said shipping surface of impacts ordinarily received in transit.

4. A method of preparing materials for shipment which comprises forming a relatively heavy unit load of such materials, placing said load upon a movable shipping surface, and interposing between said unit load and said surface a plurality of relatively small pads having a cork base and the external characteristics of asphalt and of such total size with respect to said load as to permit retarded movement of said load within predetermined limits upon receipt by said shipping surface of impacts ordinarily received in transit.

5. A method of preparing sheet material, for shipment which comprises stacking the sheets flatwise one upon the other to form a relatively heavy load, binding the stack thus formed into a unitary bundle, placing said bundle upon a movable shipping surface, and interposing between said bundle and said surface a plurality of relatively small pads of pure cork of such total size with respect to said load as to permit retarded movement of said load as a unit within predetermined limits upon receipt by said shipping surface of impacts ordinarily received in transit.

6. A method of preparing sheet material for shipment which comprises stacking the sheets fiatwise one upon the other to form a relatively heavy load, binding the stack thus formed into a unitary. bundle, placing said bundle upon a movable shipping surface, and interposing between said bundle and said surface a plurality of relatively small pads consisting principally of cork and of such total size with respect to said load as to permit retarded movement of said load as a unit within predetermined limits upon receipt by said shipping surface of impacts ordinarily received in transit.

7. A method of preparing sheet material for shipment which comprises stacking the sheets flatwise one upon the other to form a relatively heavy load, binding the stack thus formed into a unitary bundle, placing said bundle upon a movable shipping surface, and interposing between said bundle and said surface a plurality of relatively small pads of cork composition and asphaltic compounds of such total size with respect to said load as to permit retarded movement of said load as a unit within predetermined limits upon receipt by said shipping surface of impacts ordinarily received in transit.

8. A method of preparing sheet material for shipment which comprises stacking the v sheets fiatwise one upon the other to form a relatively heavy load, binding the stack thus formed into a unitary bundle, placing said bundle upon a movable shipping surface, and interposing between said bundle and said surface a plurality of relatively small pads having a cork base and the external characteristics of asphalt and of such total size with respect to said load as to permit retarded movement of said load as a unit within predetermined limits upon receipt by said shipping surface of impacts ordinarily received in transit.

9. A method of preparing sheet metal for shipment which comprises stacking the sheets fiatwise one upon the other to form a relatively heavy load, binding the stacks thus formed into a unitary-bundle, placing said bundle upon a movable shipping surface, and interposing between said bundle and said surface a plurality of relatively small cork pads of such total size with respect to said load as to permit retarded movement of said load as a unit within predetermined limits upon receipt by said shipping surface of impacts ordinarily received in transit.

10. A method of preparing sheet metal for shipment which comprises stacking the sheets fiatwise one upon the other to form a relatively heavy load, binding the stack thus formed into aunitary bundle, placing said bundle upon a movable shipping surface, and interposing between said bundle and said surface a plurality of relatively small asphalt coated cork pads of such total size with respect to said load as to permit retarded movement of said load as a unit within predetermined limits upon receipt by said shipping surface of impacts ordinarily received in transit.

ETHELYN B. RICKETTS- 20 

